


Drop a Stone 2020 version -- The young Guardians

by Smoke_Bramandin



Series: Drop a Stone [8]
Category: Legacy of Kain
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:34:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25360033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smoke_Bramandin/pseuds/Smoke_Bramandin
Summary: With nearly half of the Circle being unable to fulfill their responsibilities yet, there is a hope that nothing will go wrong.
Series: Drop a Stone [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1605454
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

The new Guardians were all six years old. They had been told what they were at various ages, some very recently, but they had yet to meet anyone in the Circle besides their patrons.

When Jahangir’s dad was told that it was time for his son to meet the other Guardians, he spit. “Forced to attend to the weapon, being considered a mere equal to low-caste, dark ones, and animals, it makes me sick.”

“Which is why you’re not invited even though the other parents are,” Hardegin said.

Ozker said, “If you offend Keturah, she might also forget that the war is over, and I don’t doubt that she can boast similar numbers to your own.”

Jahangir’s dad snorted. “I would love to face her in combat. I’m only letting you take him because the council ordered me to cooperate.”

Hardegin glared. “It is a shame that they couldn’t be convinced that he shouldn’t be around your bigoted attitude.”

There had been a discussion about how to conduct the introduction ceremony, but Archimedes had simply said “If we try to take this seriously, it will be ruined.” With that, they decided to make the introductions less formal than the non-parents would have liked, but both Keturah and Chixiksi realized that four children was a recipe for disaster.

Birney was the first of the young Guardians to arrive. His parents were invited, but they had a problematic attitude as well and chose not to come. Jahangir was the next to arrive. Hardegin remained in the Circle chamber, but Ozker went into the general-use room where Catullus was taking care of Ribaki. Together they would keep the peace between the two sets of parents that did come. Grigori arrived with Keturah and his parents. 

Tanyanika arrived with Chixiksi and her parents, but she would not let go of her mother. Keturah said, “I don’t think that Grigori’s parents will mind too much if we let her stay. If they do raise a fuss, I think they should be allowed in if they promise to be calm.”

Tanyanika’s dad nodded his thanks. “I’ll pass along the reason, and then your instructions if needed.”

The predecessors of Death and Nature introduced themselves to their successors. Grigori was fascinated by Lorica, but Birney started screaming in fright when Finneas crouched down in front of him.

“I’m sorry about this.” Archimedes made no effort to detach Birney from his leg. “I’ve introduced him to other vampires despite it making his parents furious, but he’s very uncomfortable around even Hardegin.”

Chixiksi led Tanyanika to the group. “Your predecessor is still alive, but we thought it best if you didn’t meet her yet. These are her siblings.”

Tanyanika looked at the two vampires. “If you're siblings, why do you look so different?”

“Finneas and I aren’t siblings, Sarah has two sires, though Finneas doesn’t look like his brother either,” Lorica said. “I’m a Razielim and she looks like us.”

“Finneas’ sire looked like Ozker,” Chixiksi added.

The Guardians sat in their chairs with their predecessors on their right, save for Finneas who moved his chair to Kain’s right out of deference to Birney’s fear. Kain looked around the room and murmured to Archimedes, “I’m outnumbered.”

Archimedes fought to keep his laughter in. “Just now figured that out? Bavol is the only vampire left besides you.”

Kain curled his lip in distaste, and Finneas shrugged apologetically.

There was an informal discussion about the history of the Pillars, the Guardians that let them fall, and the responsibilities of the Circle. It ended with the new Guardians being shown the Pillars.

Meanwhile, Tayanika’s dad, Fravardin, encountered Catullus in the hallway with Ribaki. He could hear the muffled yelling coming from the closed door.

“What is going on?” Fravardin asked.

“Cultural problems. They asked about Ribaki’s parents and Ozker told him that he and Chixiksi are the fathers,” Catullus said. “Now they’re yelling because they don’t acknowledge that my unrelated-uncle is one of you… and I think they’re having trouble realizing that he didn’t do anything wrong even if he was still one of us. They’re mostly having trouble understanding that Ribaki’s mother was a machine.”

“You understand why Hylden take issue with him? Which law he broke?” Fravardin asked. “I’ve had a bit of an education about your kind and I think I can guess which of your rules it looks like he broke.”

What Fravardin was not legally allowed to talk about in front of Ribaki was that while hybrids happened even during the war, acknowledging that it was on purpose offended the sensibilities of both sides. There were also religious taboos against two men being in love without having a woman involved. Sex needed to carry a risk of producing a child, even if they were trying to stick to unproductive acts.

“I really wish that they hadn’t reacted like that, but it’s why I didn’t bring my wife along,” Catullus said. “Some of my kind have a hard time viewing humans as actual people.”

Fravardin did the Hylden equivalent of raising his eyebrows. “You certainly seem to have your unrelated-uncle’s lack of inhibitions. If I had not worked closely with a human and former humans, I would probably still consider them to be merely clever animals.”

“I grew up around humans,” Catullus said.

Fravardin considered. “I haven’t spoken with your kind much, but you are nothing like what I expected.”

“There are good people and horrible people in each race,” Catullus said. “My predek was a horrendous bigot. Now he’s as good as dead and that will be the reason.”

“I don’t mean to pry at your bitterness, but I do not quite understand,” Fravardin said.

“Predek isn’t a word that translates. A father is supposed to be respected if we know who he is, even if we never meet. At least he wasn’t my dad. I had hoped that he would stop being an embarrassment,” Catullus said. “He became dangerously insane, partially caused by his bigotry, and the old Mind Guardian couldn’t help him. He was sent into the future in hopes that the new Mind Guardian could. I have family in the Circle and I’ve already told them that I will not condone having her try. I blame my predek completely and your daughter not at all.”

“My sincerest gratitude,” Fravardin said. “I hope that I encounter more people like you.”

“My purpose in life is to destroy bigotry. I hope that someday there will be nothing but tolerant people for you to meet,” Catullus said.

They both startled as Grigori’s parents burst into the hallway. Even though Catullus and Fravardin could still hear the yelling, they had started to tune it out.

“Stop them,” Ozker told Catullus.

Catullus followed the two vempari. “Wait! By the authority of the Circle, halt.”

Catullus did get them to calm down, but they had concerns about Grigori losing his morals. Later, it took Keturah, Archimedes, and Chixiksi explaining things in their own language to get them to realize that they would let Grigori keep vempari sensibilities.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a week after the new Guardians were introduced to the Circle. They had been kept beyond the initial introduction so that they could get used to each other.

“I don’t want to go back!” Birney said. “I want to stay with you.”

Archimedes sighed. “We decided that we don’t have the right to take you from your family if they aren’t willing. I can’t make an exception no matter how much I want to.”

Birney pouted and whimpered, but he didn’t say why he was upset. Archimedes guessed that Letestadt’s lack of plant life must feel suffocating for the Nature Guardian. Achimedes had a plan, but he hoped that he didn’t have to use it.

Archimedes hated trying to argue with Chancellor Caldwell. Political games were similar enough to his tricks that they were unreliable, and trying to predict what Caldwell would actually say among many possibilities gave him a headache.

Caldwell frowned when he saw his son’s mood. “I take it things did not go well?”

“There were a few hitches, but other than not liking his predecessor’s face, he seemed to enjoy himself,” Archimedes said. “Since you are unwilling to move to Aschedorf, I ask you again to let him live with a family in Valeholm. It really would be best for him.”

“Aschedorf,” Caldwell scoffed. “I looked into the records and saw that they tried to force your mother to live there… among vampires.”

“You won’t get anywhere by bringing my mother into this.” Archimedes had decided to meet her when he was fourteen and she died shortly afterward. “While Valeholm isn’t as intolerant of vampires as Letestadt, they aren’t made to feel welcome.”

Caldwell shook his head. “It’s bad enough that you’re borrowing him for ‘lessons’ in what is expected of him. He never talks about what he actually learns.”

“The lessons needed to be disguised as play, but now that he knows what he is, I can be more direct,” Archimedes said.

Birney fussed as his parents put him to bed, and in the middle of the night he flung off his blankets and laid awake. He couldn’t understand the feeling, but he had an undeniable need to be elsewhere. Still in his pajamas, he left his parents’ house and wandered down the street. He passed the shrine to Lady Fortuna and touched the stone. He had no offering, but he said the words his father had taught him.

What happened next was a case of luck that Birney didn’t even notice. As dawn approached, the guards became less alert. They only cared about getting to their beds for some sleep, not some random boy wandering alone when there were plenty of orphans trying to survive on their own. Birney found an overlook to the moat and stood on the edge. The wind from outside the walls felt good on his face, and he leaned into it.

Birney slipped and fell into the moat. Fortunately, Archimedes had taught him how to swim a year ago and he managed to pull himself up on the edge. A guard noticed and told his comrades, but they weren’t in a hurry to open the gates just for one person. At least not until a female Razielim swooped down on him. She was gone with Birney before the guards could get outside.

Caldwell was furious when he heard the news. He was dictating a demand to the Circle when Archimedes showed up. “Interesting that you would arrive before the summons was written.”

“Have you forgotten that I can see into the future? Choosing to respond to a message before it is written is a simple matter, though really I should have refused given its rude contents,” Archimedes said. “I am no longer a citizen of Letestadt and you do not have the authority to give me orders even if I were.”

“So you knew that this would happen?” Caldwell asked.

“I cannot always predict the whims of Lady Fortuna.” Archimedes had been cultivating the man’s own superstition to use against him. “It is plausible that she decided to push your son to that wall and off the edge. He is still alive, but I do not know where we will find him.”

“My men saw a bat-vampiress take him,” Caldwell said.

“I took the liberty of talking to the chief of the clan, and he denies any knowledge of it,” Archimedes said. “I do know of an outcast and have yet to speak with her about it.”

“Bring her here. I want my men to conduct the interrogation,” Caldwell said.

“Phrase it as a request,” Archimedes said. “Your parental rights are the only reason I’m willing to indulge your wishes.”

“Let us interrogate her… Please,” Caldwell said.

“Need I remind you that anyone who kills her will be subject to retribution? She has not killed illegally.” At the chancellor’s nod, Archimedes said, “I’ve sent a message to a servant. She should be outside the gates shortly.”

It was half an hour before Sarah was brought to the chancellor’s home in chains. She hissed, revealing that her fangs and some of the surrounding teeth had been knocked out. They kicked the back of her knees, forcing her to kneel.

“That was unnecessary,” Archimedes told the humans. Then he addressed Sarah, whose instructions were simply to hide her associations with the Circle and her true nature. “This man says that his son was taken by a Razielim. What do you know about it?”

Sarah frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry. Radley told me that he was an orphan. All those years that he was absent from your life must have been hard. Have you met him yet?”

Caldwell spat, “I’m not interested in some worthless orphan.”

“We’re asking about Birney, the young Nature Guardian. It was last night,” Archimedes said.

Sarah shook her head. “Not my doing. I don’t know who did. I don’t know who would if they knew what he was.”

“We’ll see if we can’t loosen your tongue,” Caldwell growled. “Take her to the dungeon. Don’t kill her, but do whatever else you can to get your information.”

Sarah was manhandled to her feet. “Don’t you know anything? Torture isn’t going to let me tell you what I don’t know.”

After Sarah was dragged away, Archimedes said, “It should be clear to you that she’s an imbecile, but she is right. She hasn’t even talked to another Razielim since before Birney was born.”


	3. Chapter 3

Udolf grinned when he got his instructions. Opportunities to hurt vampires had become sparse by the time he was old enough to become a hunter. He grinned wider when he saw her unusual eyes.

“Fortuna smiles on me,” Udolf gloated as he prepared his tools. “Do you remember me, vampire?”

Sarah pursed her lips in thought. “I’m afraid I don’t.”

“I was a boy. I was visiting Aschedorf and you attacked me,” Udolf said.

“Oh, the pants-wetter,” Sarah said.

The other men sniggered, and Udolf shot them a dirty look.

“I do apologize. I should have calmly explained why you were making me angry instead of yelling in your face,” Sarah said. “Trying to play ‘hunter’ was very upsetting to the blue kid. He had enough trouble with people reacting badly to a non-human child.”

Udolf came close enough for his spittle to fly in Sarah’s face. “Don’t think that an apology will make me not enjoy hurting you.”

“If you want retribution before you start the torture, I suppose I’m not in a position to stop you,” Sarah said. “Can you tell me when your purpose for the pain changes?”

Udolf’s reply was to hit her.

It was several hours later when Udolf reported back to the chancellor. “She says that she snuck into Birney’s bedroom and used his clothes-cabinet to create a portal to another world. He’s under the care of a deity that takes the form of a talking lion.”

“Lying to make the pain stop. That did not take long, though I have a feeling that she believes it. You know that Birney was outside of the city when he was taken.” Really Archimedes needed to reassure himself that Sarah hadn’t actually managed to send the Nature Guardian to Narnia.

“I feel like I’ve met you before,” Udolf said.

“This is Archimedes of Aschedorf, Timestreamer of the Circle of Nine,” Caldwell said.

“I knew she was hiding something,” Udolf said. “If she knew your brother, she must have known you as well. I should bloody your nose again.”

“The Circle does not take kindly to Guardians being attacked,” Archimedes said. “You’re lucky you got off so lightly last time.”

The chancellor scowled. “It seems that you haven’t been forthright with me, Timestreamer.”

“I’ve paltered quite a bit,” Archimedes admitted. “I really do prefer to be straightforward with people who are able to accept the truth.”

“Do you know where my son is?” Caldwell asked.

“Tracking him down would be simple enough, but for his sake I would like to explain what happened,” Archimedes said. “May I have my servant back? She can help with the explanation.”

When Sarah entered the room, Archimedes said, “I apologize for making you go through that. I needed someone who was ignorant of events to take the fall.”

“At least I deserved it. Apologize to Udolf.” Sarah grimaced, revealing that her teeth had grown back. “I explained to him that my clan takes our wings being damaged as a deep personal insult and I think he almost wet his pants again. Is he in danger?”

“Alcohol will grant him a merciful death before your clan hears about it,” Archimedes said. “My condolences on the loss of your man, Chancellor, but it would be cruel to try to thwart his Destiny.”

“What if you had been honest from the start? What would have happened to him then?” Caldwell asked.

“Trying to bait vampires into breaking the law is a dangerous undertaking,” Archimedes said. “I don’t approve of the motives, but the ones who fall for it need to be put down.”

Caldwell frowned. “You promised me an honest explanation about my son.”

“I didn’t promise anything, but I will be as truthful as I can be,” Archimedes said. “My servant is capable of lying, but it is difficult for her. However, I don’t want her to do that thing where she is so truthful that people beg her to stop.”

“Instructions unclear, Boss,” Sarah said.

Before Archimedes could clarify, Caldwell asked Sarah, “Who all have you kidnapped?”

“Just Radley. Oh, and technically Fred of Valeholm but I got that one squared away with his parents,” Sarah said. “It just now occurred to me that perhaps I broke a local ordinance and owe the city some sort of reparation for Radley.”

“You didn’t kill him?” the chancellor asked. “What did happen?”

“About eight or so years ago, I wanted to see the shrine to Lady Fortuna, so I hid in an alleyway. Radley was starving, so he stole a loaf of bread from the shrine and ran right into me while trying to escape someone who noticed him. I promised to give him other food if he returned the bread. A family in Valeholm owed me a favor, so I asked them to take care of him and they raised him like their own.”

“Trespassing, though we never made it a crime in and of itself. A vampire within the walls is expected to commit a further crime. If that family had come here themselves to procure an orphan with a promise of food, it would have been perfectly legal. Do not trespass again,” the chancellor said. “Do you truly not know who took my son?”

“It sounds like one of my sisters was acting under instructions,” Sarah said.

“Not an instruction; I simply told Lorica that I was worried that Birney would try to leave the city of his own volition and that I didn’t want the current Circle involved,” Archimedes said. “Birney is the Nature Guardian. Even before he comes of an age to assume his full powers and responsibilities, he is being driven to try and understand Nature. This city is too dark for any plants to grow, and so he will keep trying to leave it. He would have done this even if he was not told what he was. This is why I implied that Birney should have someone watching for him to ensure his safety.”

“Is he telling the truth?” Caldwell asked.

“Archimedes is the only one I met as a child, but I believe him,” Sarah said.

Caldwell shook his head. “I still will not let the Circle take him away from us, and I will not leave the city.”

“This doesn’t sit right with me.” Sarah leaned toward Archimedes while keeping her eyes on the chancellor. “Do you know the real reason why he wants to keep Birney here?”

Archimedes frowned. “Do you?”

Sarah frowned. “I have a guess, and all I’m accusing him of is being a politician.”

The chancellor laughed. “That’s like accusing you of being a vampire.”

Archimedes didn’t bother to correct the semantics. “Of course. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t see it, but what he’s planning will fail.” His expression hardened. "Chancellor Caldwell, if you want influence in the Circle, you have a better chance of getting it through me."

“I love my son,” Caldwell insisted.

“It’s possible to love someone and still use them for an agenda... even if it hurts them,” Sarah said. “I’ve seen it happen.”

Archimedes said, “If you let me act in Birney’s best interests, I will keep your interests in mind.”


	4. Chapter 4

Tanyanika was ten before instead of begging to see her predecessor, she decided to take matters into her own hands. While not fully psychic yet, she could pick up moods and impressions. It still took her many tries to find her prey, and it was fortunate that no one who cared had caught her taking the train between cities.

Sarah was sitting on the patio of a vimputu café, talking with a Dumahim and a Razielim. Tanyanika came within earshot before Sarah turned around suddenly and stared at her. Sarah murmured, “I need to go,” as she stood and began briskly walking away.

Tanyanika trotted after her. “Wait.”

Sarah increased her pace, but the street was crowded enough that she couldn’t break into a run. She flexed her wings, but there was no room to unfold them, much less get into the air. Without waiting for an invitation, she burst into the home of the States Guardian.

Tanyanika tried to follow her, but was stopped by Ozker. “The rest of the Circle doesn’t want you to meet her.”

“I don’t care what they want,” Tanyanika said. “Stand aside.”

“You know the rules, and you know that I have the authority to carry out their wishes,” Ozker said.

“I don’t understand. They’re afraid to say much about her except that she’s dangerous, but you’re best friends with her.” Tanyanika said. 

“She is dangerous. Her idea of right and wrong…” Ozker sighed.

“Then why is she roaming free?” Tanyanika asked. “Why do you let her near Ribaki?”

Ozker shook his head. “She’s not free, she’s under the Timestreamer’s orders and it’s different than my voluntary service. I am also confident that she will not cause Ribaki harm.”

“I don’t understand,” Tanyanika said.

“Archimedes insisted that any proper explanations were to be under his supervision,” Ozker said.

Tanyanika frowned. “I’m tired of waiting.”

“Are we to expect more defiance if you do not get your answers?” Sarah stood in the doorway, not looking directly at Tanyanika.

“Yes. Please just talk to me,” Tanyanika said. She felt a burst of psychic energy from Sarah, but it wasn’t directed at her.

Sarah shook her head and switched to vempari. “Ozker, please take her to my place. Archimedes will meet her there.”

Tanyanika’s understanding of vempari was still at the tourist level. “What did she say?”

Ozker provided a translation as he led Tanyanika across the city.

Archimedes scowled as Tanyanika entered the living room. “Sit down. I’m aware of exactly what happened. There’s a reason why we don’t want you near her yet.”

Tanyanika sat, but she scowled right back. “Why is that?”

“Because she might come closer to completely destroying you than she did me.” Archimedes’ expression softened. “We decided to try to protect you from her. She’s notorvolent, but she has little control over what she does.”

“Notorvolent?”

“It is between malevolent and benevolent. In her case, it describes how her good intentions are potentially horrifying,” Archimedes said. “Until she was approaching the end of her Guardianship, she saw nothing wrong with inflicting her alien philosophies upon everyone she met. That might even be what broke Janos beyond her ability to heal him.”

Archimedes continued. “Whether or not I’ve become as skilled in manipulation as my predecessor is debatable, but he should have been better able to defend himself against her. She was able to warp him using almost nothing but words and the most progress was made when she got distracted from doing it intentionally. My ability to manipulate pales in comparison to even her efforts. Bavol was the only member of the Circle to escape almost unscathed, so you’re still being exposed to those philosophies second-hand, but you need to become your own person with as little of her influence as possible.”

“It’s not fair. You and most of the others got to talk to your predecessors,” Tanyanika said.

“Meeting my predecessor when I was your age nearly killed me,” Archimedes said. “We will allow you to start talking to her once you’ve settled into your duties, as ill-advised as it probably is. You might even decide to give her orders.”

“Can I at least learn more about her second-hand?” Tanyanika asked.

Archimedes sighed. “I shall try to loosen the restrictions. Can you at least try to remember that she is dangerous?”

“She sounds like a zealous shilen’tvork,” Tanyanika said. “Literally it translates as crazy-maker, but in philosophy circles it’s the person that decides to be absurd just to make it interesting and challenge expectations. Someone who acts like that on the streets is rebelling against stagnation and complacency. By definition, they’re not harmless, but... never having a fever is bad for you.”

Archimedes wasn’t ready to admit that Tanyanika was describing something that cropped up on Earth occasionally. He’d been disturbed that there was something called Operation Mindfuck, but it seemed like people in those movements quickly got bored with the idea of coordinated efforts. “Sarah can’t help being absurd, and I did almost die because of a fever.”

“Unless you think you can keep us apart forever, I think it’s better that I start learning as much as I can,” Tanyanika said.


	5. Chapter 5

Tanyanika loved being able to visit Chixiksi. While Archimedes tried to serve as a stand-in for her predecessor, being trained in Mind magic as well as his own, that didn’t mean much. The Restorers could speak a bit about their powers, but they weren’t supposed to try and teach their successors in knowledge that the Pillars would provide them with later. Chixiksi was willing to tell Tanyanika how being the Guardian of States allowed him to directly observe things that normal Hylden couldn’t even with instruments. Being from the scientific caste herself, Tanyanika was looking forward to being able to do the same thing.

But today Tanyanika was after something else. “Did Archimedes tell you that it was okay to talk about Sarah?”

Chixiksi raised an eyebrow. “The restriction was loosened. We can’t tell you everything.”

“Can we start with why she’s dangerous? Or maybe why you let Ribaki near her,” Tanyanika said.

“Sarah is a unique creature, but Ribaki is also special,” Ozker said. “I believe that there isn’t much that she could do beyond what would normally happen to a two-culture child unless she was deliberately trying to ruin him.”

“Tell that to your nephews, or maybe that one was your fault,” Chixiksi said.

Tanyanika had met Catullus. That Archimedes was adopted wasn’t too much to wrap her head around, as was the explanation that aunt and uncle were simply titles. That a set of brothers close in age could be culturally different gave her pause, especially when Catullus joked that he was the human and Archimedes was the vempari before Archimedes demanded that he shut up. What she didn’t know about was that Catullus married a human woman.

“Archimedes said something like how she’s worse when she’s not trying,” Tanyanika said.

Chixiksi frowned in thought before asking Ozker something in vempari. Ozker responded with a question of his own. Chixiksi then sounded like he was trying to express a concept not suited for the language he was using. Ozker made a helpless gesture.

“Sarah is from a different world, and technology from that world needs kuzelpod added for it to function for very long." (Kuzelpod was an extra circuit that counteracted electrical systems’ tendency to act as an antenna for stray magic.) "That infers that the magical field is either different or missing, and possibly that the universe works on different rules,” Chixiksi said. “Sarah sometimes forgets what planet she’s on, and I think that most of the danger depends on a vulnerability to culture shock. My worst moments with her are when I fail to remember that she might say something that doesn’t make sense.”

“The way Archimedes described her makes me wonder if she isn’t a crazy-maker,” Tanyanika said.

Chixiksi made a bemused expression. “Not quite, but close enough. She does challenge expectations, but that’s because she comes from a culture with unexpected oddities and contradictions. The Circle started referring to her saying something odd as a Looking-Glass moment. When I refer to Terran culture, I’m really referring to the small sample size that Sarah’s viewpoint provides. Sarah has a bit of scientific background, but it’s rooted in theories that don’t take the magical field into account.”

“Could you provide an example?” Tanyanika asked.

“I won’t go too deep into it, but Terrans can’t prove that souls exist. Ghosts are dismissed as random phenomena and misperception,” Chixiksi said. “Terran science describes all living things, including humans, as nothing more than complex biochemical machines. They think the brain is a type of computer.”

Tanyanika blinked. “But that’s just the interface. How do they cope with believing that they are machines?”

“Most don’t,” Ozker said. “Only a very few insist that there isn’t something more to them than what can be seen and measured. Terrans are willing to believe in things without being shown proper proof, some even denying proof if it conflicts with what they believe. The remarkable ones are open-minded enough to accept what can be proven even if they had believed otherwise, and they don’t let belief interfere with anything important.”

“That’s odd,” Tanyanika said. “Is Sarah one of remarkable ones?”

Ozker nodded. “For the most part, though she’s far from perfect.”

“Why are they called Looking-Glass moments?” Tanyanika asked.

“It’s from a story from Sarah’s world. It’s about a girl who passes through a mirror into a topsy-turvy place called Wonderland,” Chixiksi said. “In this case, we’re getting glimpses of a world that doesn’t make sense to us courtesy of the girl.”

Ozker added, “The author of that story also wrote another book where the girl falls down a rabbit hole. Keturah dislikes mentions of rabbits, though. The phrase means embarking on a journey into the strange.”

Tanyanika remembered something. “You mentioned something about Sarah’s idea of right and wrong… you stopped before explaining.”

Ozker nodded. “She realizes that her ideals don’t necessarily line up with what we consider to be right and wrong. She needs guidance, and you need to be firm about your own ideals before considering if she has a point.”

Chixiksi said, “Really we’ve exposed you to a little more Terran culture than we should have. We’ll get yelled at if Archimedes finds out.”

“I’ll try not to mention it,” Tanyanika said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, a Kain chapter. Remember Kain? I almost got through the whole thing without talking about Sarah. :P

While Kain still did not trust Archimedes completely, he had come to accept that their goals for the world were not so diverse. He requested a meeting, and Archimedes came to him in the time-window room.

Kain did not look at him, but instead gestured to the window. “I cannot yet see who will impale me, but it seems surer that it is likely to happen.”

“I thought we had discussed this.” Archimedes looked backward into his life, not relying on his memories. “It seems I was remembering a dead timeline where I didn’t start yelling at you instead of explaining.”

Kain gave him a sardonic look. “I was making things difficult for you, and not just by not accepting your limitations. None of us are gods.”

“No, we’re not.” Archimedes looked pensive. “I tried to learn a bit about the first Time Guardian, his name was Malaki. He noticed that he was being watched, but what he said seemed intended for Moebius. I don’t know if Moebius ever saw the message.

Archimedes swallowed. “He knew what Moebius would do, but called it beyond his purpose to try and stop it. He seemed to think that it was a mistake to give a person this type of power, and the right thing to do… I think he would have approved of Bavol. Moebius hated that I care about people, and Malaki seemed like he wanted a successor that didn’t care at all beyond the integrity of Time. I’m doubting that meddling was an intended part of my purpose, and instead I’ve been prejudiced by expectations of it.”

Kain’s expression softened. “On a purely philosophical level, I agree with what you’re trying to do. Meddling can be good or bad. I do wish that we agreed about things on a more practical level, but I believe that turning you wouldn’t do any good, considering who raised you.”

Archimedes shook his head. “If you insist on testing that theory, I choose Ozker. If you insist on a real vampire doing it… someone not from your line. I would want to be cured if the outcome is me managing to avoid being a vampire on more than a biological level.”

Kain shrugged. “That you need so much sleep is an advantage I have over you, as well as the subject I wanted to talk to you about.”

“I did not mean to get distracted. Pauntet (light apology) for that,” Archimedes said. “I think that there are plenty who should have the strength and the will to impale you, assuming that my thought about it being voluntary is correct. It seems that you simply wander around the spectral realm until you’re revived.”

“If it were mere curiosity, I would have succumbed to that long ago,” Kain said. 

Archimedes shrugged apologetically. “I swear that I can’t make sense of it beyond that.”

“Do you have a sense of when this might happen?” Kain asked.

“Perhaps a decade at the soonest, though it’s more likely to be at least two or longer,” Archimedes said.

Kain, Vorador, and Finneas often gathered together for a private night of drink and discussion. Power shifts and misaligned ages had left them in a sort of stalemate, as far as their personal status towards each other, and Kain rather enjoyed the tension brought by the inability to resolve the matter. They were peers until one could prove that he was above the others.

Vorador winced at the glass of blood from the bottle that was offered. “I liked good Arbane, but I’m surprised you still gamble about it when they’ve barely produced a good batch in years.”

Finneas sighed. “I had thought about arranging for you to visit their operation, but I know that we just can’t get that flavor right now, even without the hunting laws.”

Kain downed the glass of substandard blood. “The explanation is headache-inducing, something about becoming bored with being afraid, but I think that the rest of this bottle should be thrown to vampires that don’t care about the taste.”

“I always keep a bottle of Greenwood handy.” Finneas rummaged for it. “Odd that vegetarian humans have a pleasant flavor.”

“If they want to graze like cattle, then it’s only fitting that they taste better that way,” Vorador said.

The argument was left to die as the triple-chessboard was brought out. All of the players had been resistant at first to the idea of more than two sides, but each had come around in their own way. They had played so many games before that they didn’t see any deeper meaning to in-game allegiances or the lack thereof.

“The young Guardians will be gathering here tomorrow,” Finneas mentioned. “Will you be coming this time, Kain?”

New Eden was chosen not only for Birney’s needs, but it provided a safe space for all of the young Guardians. Valeholm was not ready for Hylden to wander freely through the town.

“I’m quite aware of when these get-togethers happen.” Kain paused in thought. “Perhaps I should take an interest in how they’re developing.”

“I’m surprised that you allow human Guardians to live, or Hylden Guardians for that matter,” Vorador said.

“The Pillars are biased towards vempari, but otherwise they choose the most appropriate person available,” Kain said. “I’ve examined the problem from all of the angles available to me and I’m not sure that what happened was entirely the humans’ fault.”

“How can it not be?” Vorador asked.

Kain sneered as he addressed both brothers. “I have access to a completely objective viewpoint. I know what you did and I would not have appreciated being among them. All of us know, and it’s fortunate that Archimedes is willing to leave it between you and your direct victims as long as it doesn’t happen again.”

Finneas had the decency to look embarrassed, but Vorador just took a sip of his bloodwine.

“I was going to have Aruffi teach them a lesson about trying to intimidate non-Terran animals,” Finneas said. “Ribaki had been taught how to deal with the geese and I fear what will happen if I let them think intimidation will work on everything.”

Aruffi was a veldulfur, a wolf with enough intelligence to communicate with people and potentially learn magic. Her kind were the result of werewolves cross-breeding with real wolves.

“Don’t. Depending on what else he’s been taught, he might be able to kill her with his bare hands… or decide to blind her,” Vorador said. “I’d volunteer except I don’t want to go through that again. Terran predators have good reason to fear their humans, considering how casually Sarah spoke about the vicious methods of dealing with them.”

Kain frowned. “You mentioned that attacking her while in wolf form didn’t work to teach her about sadism, but it sounds like you lost that fight.”

“She kicked me in the jewels and shoved her arm down my throat. It’s fortunate that I don’t need to breathe, but it felt like she could have snapped my neck just by shifting her weight,” Vorador said. “I’ve never fought someone who disregarded defense in order to put full effort into offense.”

“She’s done something similar to me, though her attack wasn’t physical,” Kain said. “She once warned me that it’s dangerous to go against someone who has nothing to lose, and I hope I never get on her bad side if she ever truly feels that way.”


	7. Chapter 7

It was between Tanyanika’s eleventh birthday and the birthday of the others. Ribaki was with them, and he was their peer until the day that they assumed their responsibilities. Due to a failure in communication, the five children were set loose in the forest without Aruffi being called off.

The wolf growled as she blocked their path.

“Don’t be afraid and don’t make eye contact,” Ribaki said. “This isn’t our territory, and we don’t want to fight about it. It might let us leave if we don’t act like prey. Just stay together and back off slowly.”

The wolf followed them menacingly for a moment, but then she stopped. The children were able to make their way to where three of the predecessors, plus Archimedes and Kain, were gathered.

Finneas and Archimedes were standing off, and Archimedes said, “It’s okay, it’s already happened and she’s fine. Look.”

Finneas turned toward the children. “What happened?”

Jahangir grinned. “Ribaki saved us from a wolf. I don’t think I could have taken it on yet, but he knew just what to do.”

“I had asked her to teach you that not everything can be intimidated, but I didn’t have a chance to warn her that Ribaki might know some nasty tricks,” Finneas said.

“I do,” Ribaki said, “but Sarah also taught me a little bit about how to talk to animals. Step one with non-vampire predators is to act like a lesser predator and treat it like a territorial dispute... Don’t growl back unless the other guy won’t let you back down peacefully. It’s a shame her cat won’t come near me. I heard her having a full conversation with it and I would have loved to learn how to do that.”

Finneas blinked in confusion. “Aruffi is a veldulfur, an intelligent wolf, but most animals aren’t like that. I would never have been able to have a conversation with a cat.”

Archimedes said, “I just asked her about it, and she doesn’t actually believe it was a proper conversation. She’s sure that the cat believed that they were just making incoherent noises at each other.”

“Why?” Ribaki asked.

“I’m sure that she could provide an explanation that would be perfectly reasonable-sounding at the time, but I’m not in the mood to risk a headache,” Archimedes said.

“Do you have another example?” Tanyanika asked.

Archimedes considered that perhaps a particularly weird sampling of what the Mind Guardian’s predecessor was like might dissuade her from asking too much. “She has a floor-cleaning robot and she apologizes to it when she trips over it. She knows it can’t hear her, but she says she’s practicing for the robot uprising. Sarah believes that machines might gain the ability to think, despite knowing why it’s impossible.”

Tanyanika was from the scientific caste, the same as Chixiksi. What she said next reflected a quasi-religious viewpoint. “It is highly unlikely, but we do not dismiss things as impossible.”

Archimedes allowed himself to reflect on his few interactions with the scientific caste. During a question and answer session, they had swiftly figured out that he wasn’t omniscient and demanded that he be honest about it. He found it bizarre that he could admit to the holes in his knowledge and still have what he was sure about be accepted once he convinced them that he wouldn’t bluff them further.

“That devil-woman got Chixiksi convinced enough that he put a small team to the task of treating it as a legitimate threat,” Archimedes said.

“He might have let his emotions get the better of him, but he’s not irrational,” Tanyanika said. “It’s not fair that I can’t talk to her.” 

Kain had been observing their conversation, and he came closer. “Most of the Restorers are aware that their approach to their duties might have been lacking. Sarah’s proper role is sowing chaos and destruction, and she is still fulfilling her purpose in that regard, which makes her a danger to you even with the knowledge that she didn’t know how to use her mental powers properly. Archimedes and I had predecessors who were born to the role and firm in their convictions, but fortunately we had the wisdom to disregard what they would have wanted us to be. Ariel spent centuries demanding that I commit suicide.”

“It’s a shame that you didn’t know Nupraptor well; he sounds like he was a complete idiot,” Tanyanika said. “It also sounds like being confirmed won’t mean much and I’m mostly going to have to figure things out as I go.”

“Your Pillar will tell you what it needs, but how else you use your powers is up to you, and you will know how to use them,” Kain said. “Parts of this training is simply an attempt to make the associated revelations less disturbing.”

Tanyanika nodded. “The intention seems sound. I don’t think myself or Jahangir would have reacted well if we had to suddenly deal with being equals to liderkaste.”

“Does that word mean what it sounds like?” Archimedes frowned as Tanyanika confirmed that she considered politics the worst part of her future responsibilities… and that she deemed Kain, himself, and Birney part of the leader caste. “I’m going to try and find a sip of something stiff. I don’t think I can deal with her trying to uphold a painful tradition.”

Tanyanika frowned. “I thought he was raised by Sarah. Shouldn’t he be used to her [shenanigans]?”

Kain scoffed. “I allowed her to spend five centuries in my presence while not quite believing she was more sane than not. If I hadn’t already been mad, she probably would have driven me to it. Have you been told about Janos?”

“Sarah accidentally drove him mad and he needed to be killed,” Tanyanika said.

“Not quite the truth, though Sarah does blame herself. He’s as good as dead when he returns from his journey,” Kain said. “He was unyielding, and those who do not bow often break if they encounter a force stronger than themselves. Janos was not weak, but I was one of the forces that caused him to crack.”

“As good as dead?” Tanyanika asked.

“Sent forward in time to mollify Vorador,” Kain said. “I think when it comes to it, I can take full responsibility and survive his wrath.”

“Do you know when that will happen?” Tanyanika asked. “If I have my powers by then, maybe I can do something, or at least understand his madness.”

“It will be after you are due to assume your full responsibility,” Kain said. “Try not to have any expectations about wanting to see him. Part of his madness is that he had terrible attitudes towards non-vempari.”


	8. Chapter 8

While Kain was speaking with Tanyanika, the other young Guardians wandered a short distance away to speak to their predecessors.

Birney frowned in thought. “Are you sure animals aren’t intelligent? The livestock in Valeholm seems to think about things.”

Finneas said, “I couldn’t get close to prey animals without forcing them to hold still, but of course they think about simple things such as whether or not someone poses a threat to their life. What I mean by intelligence is being able to think like a person.”

“I don’t understand,” Birney said.

Finneas sighed as he thought. “I’m not sure that I can adequately explain because there isn’t one threshold that works for everything. There are creatures that seem to plan, but generally it’s rare. Most animals are more inclined to react without considering consequences. Animals also tend not to understand an idea that they haven’t experienced.”

Birney frowned. “How can someone understand something that they haven’t experienced?”

“Having a complex language helps,” Finneas said. “Briefly, there were creatures called kangaroo. They killed several ordinary wolves before dying out, and I could not get the wolves to understand that they shouldn’t hunt a strange-smelling deer that stands on two legs. The only thing that got through to them was someone intelligent being there to tell them about the danger once they saw the animal.”

“I’m having trouble imagining how a deer could stand like that,” Birney said.

“Its body is shaped more like a rat,” Finneas said. “Instead of running, it jumps.”

“Are you trying to make me believe in something that isn’t real?” Birney asked.

Finneas shook his head. “Keturah brought them from another world. There are a few other creatures from there, such as the geese.”

“Why did she do that?” Birney asked.

“This world was close to death when we restored the Pillars,” Finneas said. “It is still nowhere near as vibrant as it was when I was a fledgling, and the animals from that other world were more tolerant of harsh conditions. Even some of the animals that we tried to bring back from extinction by taking them from the past were unable to survive.”

Birney thought for a moment before asking, “Do you think the world will ever be the way you remember again?”

“I imagine that it will be more like it was before I was born,” Finneas said. “The world should recover if given enough time, provided that there isn’t another disaster.”

Birney looked pensive. Finneas had grown accustomed to reading his successor’s moods and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Birney bit his lip. “What if what happened was because of human Guardians?”

Finneas sighed. “There were many other issues than simply being from a different race than what the architects of the Pillars intended. Just last night Kain told me that he’s unsure that the failure of the Pillars was entirely the fault of the human Guardians.”

“My father thinks that you might turn me into a vampire,” Birney said.

“Do you know who gave him that idea?” Finneas asked. When Birney shook his head, Finneas said, “Archimedes is old enough to be turned, despite how he’s decided to stop aging prematurely, but obviously he has been allowed to refuse the dark gift.”

Birney still looked unsure, so Finneas looked around for Archimedes and waved him over. Archimedes’ expression shifted from curious to concerned, and then he scowled. “I didn’t want you to have to worry about that yet.” His expression softened, though his displeasure was still evident. “Out of the many possibilities, I’m not sure which would actually happen, but it is unlikely that either of us would be turned unless we agree to it.”

Birney shook his head. “I don’t believe that we would have a choice. Not if being human turns out to be a problem.”

“We will have a choice. Worrying about the future is my job and I’ll keep you informed if I see a problem coming,” Archimedes said. “I don’t think you should voice your concerns around Kain just yet; it might irritate him.”

Finneas quirked an eyebrow at Archimedes, indicating that he did want to argue, but was prevented by not wanting to scare Birney further.

Archimedes said, “Hardegin is biased, but so are Finneas and myself. Why don’t you ask him to describe the benefits as well as the downsides to being a vampire? It helps to have all of the information.”

After Birney walked off, Finneas said, “Do you honestly believe that you would be allowed to remain human if it causes problems?”

“I said we would have a choice, though having to choose between vampirism and death isn’t an appealing one,” Archimedes said. “I’ve become open to being turned if it turns out to be absolutely necessary. I’d be surprised if you can’t figure out why.”

Finneas grimaced. “You would be a black-ribboner.”

“Possibly worse than that, all things considered,” Archimedes said. 

Finneas rubbed his temples. “Am I going to regret that I argued against killing you?”

“I will strive to prevent that as much as I can,” Archimedes said. “I am grateful that you were willing to help me.”

“It’s self-preservation, both with you and Birney,” Finneas growled. “Kain told me that you know what I did.”

“That is why I don’t consider myself in your debt. Without the motivation of not suffering for making the same mistake twice, it would appear that you’re acting with decency,” Archimedes said. “I agree with the black-ribboners, but I realize that it’s not my place to do more than passively be aware of vampire concerns… At least not as long as I remain mortal.”

“Is that a threat?” Finneas asked.

Archimedes shook his head. “I haven’t given much thought to what I would do if gain a right to get involved.”

“You do realize that I will not stay quiet about this,” Finneas said.

Archimedes shrugged. “Kain is aware of my opinion.”

“What about Birney?” Finneas asked.

“I will advise him accordingly as it becomes necessary,” Archimedes said. “I don’t want another conflict between vampires and humans any more than I want to see a war between any of the mortal races.”


End file.
